This invention relates to devices which support food to aid in the cooking process. More specifically, the invention allows food to be positioned relative to the cooking heat source such that adverse effects, such as charring and uneven heating, are avoided.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,657, Ghenic presents a hotdog roaster comprised of a manually controlled, rotating assembly for three hotdogs. This device is placed atop a grill during operation. The device has balancing mechanisms that maintain the device in a stabilized condition on the grilled surface in spite of cantilever forces imposed by the supported hot dogs. An elongated handle is rotatably attached to a housing that mounts a number of rotary hot dog grippers. A gear mechanism within the housing transmits a drive force from the handle to the hot dog grippers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,497, Basso discloses a device for cooking meat and a means of supporting the meat during cooking. The oils and juices liberated during the cooking are captured. It has one vertically disposed hollow column with multiple perforations. The column has a base which can be connected to a rotating mechanism. One plate attached to the column has two fastening bushings with perforations. These allow passage of oils and juices collected by the plate into the hollow column and through the interior of the column to be discharged. The plates are slightly concave and have hooks for suspending the meat to be roasted on the bottom side of the plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,110,237, Smith discloses a device for cooking hollow foods having a plurality of skewers supporting the food item be piercing the wall through a stem side of the food item. The skewers maintain the orientation of the food item with the stem side facing down and maintaining a minimum volume of the interior chamber to facilitate the accumulation of steam within the interior chamber.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,312, Brant discloses an array of tines for cooking elongated foods, such as hotdogs in a microwave. This assembly has a lid, a base and a tray. The food is placed on the tray which is then placed on the base. The base contains a steam producing liquid at a level below the bottom of the tray. The lid placed on the base covering the tray and food. The assembly is then placed in a microwave. As the liquid is heated, steam passes through the tray, through apertures, over the food and out the lid.
In Design Pat. No. 409,047, Battioli shows a rotisserie spit that has a turnable handle connected to a circular plate with tines extending from each face of the plate. Presumably foods, such as hotdogs, are skewered on each of the tines and the device is rotated during the cooking process.